What Can I Recycle?
- Newspaper
- Shredded paper (bagged)
- Magazines
- Office paper
- Junk mail
- Paperboard (like cereal boxes)
- Corrugated cardboard (flattened, large staples removed)
- Clear and brown glass bottles and jars (no drinking glasses, window glass or broken glass)
- Aluminum, steel and metal cans
- #1 or #2 plastic bottles or jugs (clamshell containers are not recyclable)
All items must be clean and uncontaminated. Plastics and glass need to be empty and rinsed. Paper and cardboard must be clean. For example, heavily soiled pizza boxes are not recyclable. A clean lid may be torn off and recycled, but the greasy bottom must go into the trash.
Why all this fussiness?
Manufacturers of recycled products need clean material to process into raw material and new products. Giant staples in cardboard boxes break machinery; food grease gums up other machinery. Recyclable material which is dirty and contaminated will be thrown away and not recycled. It is important that we all do our part to make the recycling process work.
Confused about plastic types?Click here to download a helpful PDF document detailing plastic markers and types.
Parkersburg Waste & Recycling cannot take car batteries, motor oil, or wet paint. The following are ways to dispose of these or other items.
- Wet paint – Add cheap cat litter to the wet paint, stir and allow to dry out. Once paint is completely dry, paint cans may go on the curb with your trash.
- Alkaline Batteries - place in trash for weekly curbside pick up.
- Lithium/Rechargeable Batteries - Drop off receptacles located at Batteries Direct-408 37th Street, also the entrances of Lowe's and Home Depot.
- Car batteries – Drop off at Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone and O'Reilly's. Any motor vehicle battery may also be taken to Batteries Direct.
- Used motor oil – Advance Auto Parts, all locations.
- Antifreeze and used oil filters – Advance Auto Parts, Murdoch Ave. location only.
- Power tool batteries – Home Depot, Batteries Direct
- Any battery – Batteries Direct takes all used batteries.
- Ink cartridges and toner – Check with the manufacturer on recycling guidelines
- Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) – Home Depot, Lowe’s
- Plastic plant trays, plant pots and tags – Lowe’s